Burden Of Proof
by brennan8319
Summary: Harvey Specter is always cool, calm and collected. A brilliant lawyer with his eye on the prize. What happens when his resolve is shaken? What happens if the person who does it is completely unexpected? K for now but M soon. This is Rachel Zane after all!
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own Suits. If I did, we wouldn't have to wait til next year for Season 2. And also, Donna would get way more screen time than she usually does. **_

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><p>Rachel was bored. Her fingers drummed the half empty glass of champagne (from the region Champagne in France so it was not sparkling wine, as Louis would be glad to hear) as her eyes swept across the room.<p>

The Grand Ballroom at The Plaza hotel was humming. She spotted a few of her colleagues from Pearson Hardman without any trouble and could also pick out a few high profile attorneys from more than two of their competitors. Tonight was an important night; a formal black tie affair arranged by some board of some law firm that invited the who's who in law along with many multi-million dollar clients who were all in the "market for new representation".

It was like putting blood-thirsty sharks in a tank filled with wounded soldiers. Very rich wounded soldiers. The whole thing bored Rachel to death but as Jessica Pearson's memo had stated earlier that morning, her attendance was obligatory. She tried to query it with her, asking what importance a paralegal had to establishing new clients but her only response was a patronizing smile and something about representing the firm.

She shifted her weight lazily from one foot to the other; her feet now protesting in her nine inch peep toe heels and her thoughts drifted to the cucumber face mask and mint and chamomile foot soak she had planned for that night. Now if she was lucky though, she'd get home in time to fall into bed for five hours of sleep before having to start her crazy routine all over again.

"He's got the signed will. His case is pretty much won."

Two men had sidled up to the ad hoc bar where Rachel stood. She instantly recognized one of them as Harvey Specter, a senior partner at Pearson Hardman and the best closer in the city. He looked dashing as always in a black suit and bow tie, his hair slicked back in its usual manner. The other man was a stranger to her and Rachel presumed he must be a potential client that Harvey was busy wooing. She then also knew that if Harvey had his sights set on this man, he must be the richest one in the room.

"Single malt," Harvey called to one of the barmen.

"Same," his little wounded soldier said.

"No case is pretty much won until it is, Matthew" Harvey added as he turned his attention back to the man who now had a name.

Matthew. A rich Matthew. Kearnon, Rachel finished in her head. Matthew Kearnon was newly rich and painfully handsome; one of the most eligible bachelors in New York – a title he wore with pride and also shared with the man to his immediate left. He had purchased a multi-billion dollar company three years ago for next to nothing and since then he had been represented by no less than five of the top law firms in the country. Known for his lassez faire attitude toward attorneys and the law in general, Pearson Hardman kept their distance. They expected loyalty from their clients, something Matthew seemed incapable of. Obviously something had changed if Harvey was now speaking to him.

"You don't understand, Harvey, the old man has it in black and white – the company goes to his son-in-law when the cancer takes him. The old man is dead, and now Forrest wants what is rightfully his. We can't fight black letter law."

From where she was standing, Rachel could see Harvey's jaw tighten. She knew he was milling the facts to try and find a solution – a solution for Matthew Kearnon would mean his loyalty and therefore, his money. Her boredom subsided and the paralegal decided to chime in.

"How did he die?" she said as she worked her way to stand between the two men.

She posed her question to Matthew and barely acknowledged Harvey at all. If she had, she would have noticed the open surprise on his face at her sudden appearance.

"Excuse me?" came the equally surprised response from Matthew.

She noticed as he took in the length of her figure with no subtlety and Rachel was suddenly glad that she went against better judgement when picking up her dress for that night, charging over two thousand dollars to her credit card. She was wearing a sleeveless matte bronze full length Versace with an understatedly elegant scoop neck. Harvey, to whom her back was currently turned, had the best view however. Her back was completely bare as the dress started at the point just above her bottom, the well-defined dimples on either side of her lower spine creating a sensual tease for whoever viewed her from that angle. She didn't know it at the time, but Harvey was fully appreciating this little design victory before she next spoke.

"I assume you're talking about Hector Miardy, the previous owner of your company, Tennessonn Holdings. How did he die?"

Matthew flustered a little as he tried to figure out who she was and why she was interested in his case. He glanced up at Harvey who suavely stepped in.

"This is Rachel Zane, she's a paralegal at my firm."

"But-"

"It's okay," Harvey assured him, "I'm sure she has a perfectly good reason for eavesdropping on our conversation."

The reprimand in Harvey's voice did not go unnoticed by Rachel who was aware that she had overstepped but she didn't so much as look up at him. She was stimulated for the first time that night and she would be damned if she let him shoo her away like a child. Luckily Matthew took Harvey's affirmation as a go-ahead and submitted to her line of questioning.

"He had colon cancer. Hector suffered for years, the last few months were especially bad after it spread to his brain, among other things. He was completely bed ridden and finally slipped into a coma. Two weeks ago his daughters decided to turn off life support. Anyway, when he found out he was sick a few years ago, he promised his son-in-law that when the cancer finally took him, he could get the company. Only, he sold me that company three years ago. The family jumped in and tried to plead all kinds of nonsense but they didn't have power of attorney and the sale was valid. They warned me that it would be revoked once he died though, I didn't think there was anything in it until this whole thing with the will came up."

Rachel said. "The plaintiff doesn't have a case. You don't have to give him anything."

Matthew smiled smugly, obviously a reaction to her being "just a paralegal" Rachel assumed. Well she was ready to correct that assumption.

"I would love to know how you came to that conclusion, Miss-"

"It's Zane, Rachel Zane. Don't worry, you'll get used to it once you sign with Pearson Hardman."

Matthew shot what looked like a _"can you believe this woman?"_ look at Harvey who was standing idly aside, watching the conversation unfold with interest. He merely shrugged and let out a soft chuckle.

"She's the best, Matthew. You may want to listen to what she has to say. I know I'm interested."

"If I explain," Rachel continued, "-you'll have what you need to throw out his claim. That saves you, if I remember correctly, five hundred million?"

"Seven fifty last quarter," Matthew corrected.

"Even better. So here's what you're going to do…"

Harvey's eyebrows shot up at the sound of one of his favorite closing lines coming from the young paralegal and his smile broadened. She really was something else.

"I'm listening."

"You're going to state in good faith, that Pearson Hardman has your business and finalize that deal before the end of the week."

"What makes you think I can't find this solution through my current representation? Surely you're not saying that –"

"If you had a solution you wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Matthew looked from Rachel to Harvey and back again, shrugged his shoulders in defeat and motioned with his hand for her to continue. She didn't though.

"I need you to say it."

"Fine, first thing tomorrow morning I will start the process of moving my company's business over to Pearson Hardman as my representation. There, I said it. Good faith and all that."

"Ademption and causa mortis."

Harvey choked on his sip of whiskey as Rachel spoke, resulting in uncontrollable fits of coughing that he tried to mask behind his hand. She smiled and patted his back softly.

"Are you okay? Need another drink?"

Harvey shook his head as he tried to regain his composure. He looked up at Matthew who was predictably confused by what was going on. He, however, couldn't hide how impressed he was with the paralegal at his side.

"She's right," he said to Matthew and then turning to Rachel, "You're right."

"Try not to sound so surprised."

"I would've gotten it too but…" he waved his glass in front of her to imply that the alcohol slowed his thinking processes a bit.

"Hmm, lightweight I see," she responded and waved her glass of champagne in front of him. "Nothing stops me from being good."

"Can someone please explain what this admonition causal whatever is?"

Rachel looked at Harvey as if asking permission to continue. He made a low bow with his head and swept out his hand.

"The floor is yours."

"Okay so Hector sold this company that was gifted in his will before his death which doesn't make it his to give away. That's your first argument. Then, the conditions around the company awarded to his son-in-law stated that it was due once he died of cancer right? Which he didn't so it's immediately null and void."

"But he did," Matthew broke in. "It had spread through his entire body and he-"

"He had cancer, sure. He didn't die of cancer."

"Brilliant." Harvey's voice came from inside his glass as he helped himself to another sip of whiskey.

However, Matthew was still utterly confused as his brows furrowed deeper on his forehead. He looked desperately from Rachel to Harvey in an attempt to get one of them to enlighten him.

"I'm sorry, I still don't-"

"The cancer didn't kill him, his family did," Rachel spelled it out. "You said that they turned off life support two weeks ago. So if you're accurate in stating that the conditions of the awarding of the company rested on Hector dying of cancer then his son-in-law has no case. First, the company was no longer Hector's to give away and second, he didn't die of cancer."

Matthew's reaction was well worth it Rachel thought as she watched his jaw drop as he stared at her wide-eyed.

"Have a good evening, Mr. Kearnon. I look forward to seeing you again soon," she said as she turned and left.

Both men watched her make her way across the room, the backless dress creating a stir not just with them but many other eyes as well.

"So now you have me, Harvey. I want her."

"She's not a lawyer, Matthew. She can't work this case."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Harvey smiled and nodded, he picked up on that bit clear as day. He looked down to see Matthew sliding what seemed to be a business card into the top pocket of his jacket.

"Be sure to give that to her."

Harvey reached in and removed it again. He slid the card into the pocket of Matthew Kearnon with a gloating smirk.

"You'll be at the firm tomorrow morning first thing right? You can give it to her yourself."

Harvey left his newest client standing at the ad hoc bar, feeling triumphant and surprisingly grateful to Rachel for being in the right place at the right time. He had always known she was the best at what she did but he hadn't realized she was much of a closer. There was a lot about her he didn't know, Harvey admitted to himself. His eyes found her form across the room before he even realized he had been looking for her. Rachel was talking to one of the associates, wisps of soft curls had made their way out of the up style she wore and fell into her neck, accentuating its shape in profile. She was clearly much more than just the pretty paralegal he always teased Mike about, Harvey thought. Her face suddenly broke into a wide smile and Harvey thought that actually, she was much more than just pretty.

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><p><strong><em>TBC<em>**

_It's the first time I'm writing for Suits so please let me know what you think. Reviews, positive or not, are always welcome as long as they are constructive :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so this is a bit of a mega chapter... over 4000 words :D But there were a few things I needed to set up for the rest of the story. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Rachel!"<p>

Rachel looked up to find Jessica Pearson in front of her. She had about ten heavy folders cradled in her one arm and was busy sending a text with her free hand. If Jessica had not called to her when she did, she would have surely collided.

"Jessica, hi," Rachel said somewhat out of breath and a little surprised. It wasn't every day that she was addressed in passing by the Pearson of Pearson Hardman.

"I just come from your office."

"Oh, I was down in archives," Rachel motioned to the stack of folders in her arm. "Louis asked me for about a year's worth of case files."

"An easy delegation to make; working through those archives can be hell."

"Not for someone who knows their way around," Rachel responded quickly, her smile was easy despite the fact that she barely got any sleep the night before and showed up at the office at six that morning.

"I'm sure," Jessica said. "I heard about your coup last night. That's why I was looking for you."

"That's what they're calling it?"

"Yes, well Matthew Kearnon is an important client. I'm sure you have an idea what it does for our profile besides the financial benefit."

"Well I'm glad I could help."

"According to Harvey you did one hell of a job. He can't stop singing your praises."

"Really?" the surprise in Rachel's voice was genuine.

"Mr Kearnon was here this morning to start the process and he and Harvey were both very impressed by you."

Rachel could only offer a shy smile at this. She was playing Matthew to get him to sign but she was in no way expecting to make any kind of impression on the great and esteemed Harvey Specter himself. She was all too familiar with his type – power-drunk, motivated by money, used women as trophies and didn't let anything stand in the way of winning a case. People like him didn't think anything of people like her. At least, that's what she had thought.

"Well anyway I just wanted to tell you in person that your involvement in landing Tennessonn Holdings is much appreciated. This will of course be reiterated with a fair bonus at the end of the month."

"Really? And to think, I didn't even want to go." Rachel failed to keep the astonishment from her tone. All she did was butt in to someone else's conversation to stave off her boredom and now she was getting a bonus.

"Exactly. But I have to get back and I'm sure you have wonderful plans with those case files so I'll leave you to it."

And just as suddenly as she had appeared, Jessica was gone, leaving a stunned and somewhat giddy Rachel in her wake.

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><p>"I just got a personal thank you and bonus from Jessica for landing Tennessonn Holdings last night. What have you done with your morning so far?"<p>

Rachel had swept into Louis' office without so much as a knock and placed the folders on his desk. He was leaning back in his chair with his stress balls, his face twisted in utmost concentration. Rachel knew better than to ask what was wrong because it was almost always Harvey Specter. It was no secret that Louis and Harvey didn't get along and that the former was in constant competition with the latter. It was for this reason that Rachel entered the way she did; her success the previous night also meant success for Harvey and it was something that would kill Louis.

"You're late," was all he offered in way of a response.

"Well like I said, I got held up when Jessica thanked me for-"

"Okay okay enough." Louis straightened in his chair and slammed the stress balls onto his desk in anger, an action that made Rachel startle as the loud bang echoed around the office.

"I've had enough of the golden boy and his golden win for today. I'm glad though that Jessica has recognized it was because of you and not the almighty Harvey Specter that we landed Tennessonn and you work for me so ipso facto-"

"Ipso facto nothing, Louis. I may be on your pay grade but my win is not yours any more than my reputation benefits from any of your cases, which you only win because of my work."

The junior partner was silenced by this. Rachel always had a way with him that he didn't often challenge, especially not after her wrongful suspension a few months earlier. But he granted her more than anyone else because the fact that she was the best could not be refuted; her work was the reason he won his cases more often than not. Harvey had Mike, the brilliant protégée and he had Rachel.

However, Harvey had been making use of her time more and more lately albeit through Mike Ross' requests for her help. By helping Mike she was indirectly helping Harvey and Louis was sure the senior partner was well aware of it. It was probably why he kept doing it, because he knew how much it irked Louis. That was something Harvey would be proud to be responsible for.

"I don't want this," he said finally and pushed the stack of folders away from him.

"What? I spent the past three hours getting those together."

"I want them, but I don't have time to go through all of this," Louis explained, making his implication clear.

"I've earmarked everything that's relevant to the case," Rachel argued. "It won't take more than an hour to collate."

"I have an urgent meeting to get to and-"

"What will it take for you to keep your nose out of my business?" Harvey barged in to Louis' office with his usual air of superiority, surprising both Louis as well as Rachel who he did not notice at first.

"Are you above waiting until I'm not busy with something before you come charging in here without announcing yourself?" Louis spat at him. He had immediately rose behind his desk when Harvey entered in an effort to assert his authority.

"As much as I hate to interrupt your stress ball workouts, this couldn't wait."

"I'm just going to grab these and go," Rachel said as she took the files from the desk, trying to be as small as possible.

Getting caught in the middle of one of Louis and Harvey's battles was not what she had planned for her morning and the sooner she got out there the better. It was as she spoke that Harvey turned and noticed her for the first time. His eyes ran the length of her figure as she bent over to pick up the case files, lingering in no subtle manner on the way she filled out the black pencil skirt she wore. This did not go unnoticed by the ever observant Louis who watched Harvey with a wry smile.

"Hi," Harvey said, a little more shyly than he intended, when Rachel straightened again.

"Hi," she responded and then blew a puff of air onto her face to get rid of the strands of hair that had fallen across it, her hands now occupied by the heavy case files.

"Here, let me help you with that," Harvey said as he gently moved the misplaced hair and tucked it behind her ear. Rachel's body froze at the unexpected gesture and so did her brain.

"How are you?" he asked lightly, as if this was how he always acted around her. It wasn't and the whole thing caught Rachel a little off guard.

"Uh, I'm okay," she said hesitantly, trying to grasp what was happening without coming across as too much of an idiot. "I have to go," she ended abruptly and made her way out of the office.

Harvey turned to watch her, wearing a slight smile as he did. Part of him enjoyed the fact that he got her all flustered.

"Harvey!" Louis' voice brought him back to the moment and he spun round.

"What?"

"You tell me. You're the one who came barging in here a few seconds ago."

"Oh, right," Harvey said, gathering his thoughts again. He sighed deeply, still unable to wipe the stupid smile from his face. "Nevermind," he ended and walked out.

A mischievous smile lifted the corners of Louis' mouth as he watched Harvey leave. There was obviously something going on between the senior partner and the paralegal and Louis knew Harvey – he wasn't capable of leaving matters to rest, especially when it concerned beautiful women. And that would be his foot in with Jessica, Louis thought. Office relationships were strictly frowned upon and if he could label Harvey as overstepping the golden rule, surely that would help prove his case for senior partner. Also, keeping Rachel busy meant leaving less time for Harvey and Mike to jump in and ask for favors. His victories may not be on the same scale as those of Harvey but that didn't mean he enjoyed them any less.

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><p>"Whatever it is, it's going to have to wait," Rachel told Mike as he entered her office, not looking up from her computer screen. There was not even a pause in her typing as she spoke and Mike stopped dead in the doorway.<p>

"I know you're busy but it's urgent."

"It's always urgent," she shot back. "I'm not the only paralegal at this firm so go ask someone else."

"Yeah well this case is for one of our biggest clients and I'm sure that it trumps whatever Louis has got you doing." Mike could sense that this was an argument he was going to lose but the thought of dealing with Harvey was what drove him to continue. His mentor didn't accept no for an answer and Mike had learned to not disappoint him in that regard.

"Yeah well Harvey's a senior partner, I'm sure he can read. So the two of you can go do whatever it is you want to drop in my lap." Her attention was still fully on what she was doing when Harvey walked in.

"And as senior partner, you are under obligation to do whatever I ask of you." His voice finally got her to look up and the sight of the two suits now filling her office upset Rachel more than it intimidated her.

For the past five years that she had been at Pearson Hardman she had spent every day working hard to make a name for herself in a male dominated field. She knew that a lot of the reason why she had been given the chance at all was because of Jessica, the only female in the firm with more power than any of the men milling around its halls. The fact that Harvey Specter, along with his ever faithful sidekick, saw it fit to demand things of her that was outside reason and expect her to drop everything she was doing was so typical of how things worked there and it was the one thing that infuriated Rachel about a job that she otherwise loved.

"I know that hierarchy rules in this business and especially at this firm, but when I say I'm busy it doesn't mean that I'm sitting here trying to win at Solitaire and spinning you a load of bull so that I can keep slacking off."

"If you want, we can go talk to Jessica about this," Harvey threatened, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "She knows that this case is the most important thing going on right now. We need to bag this so we keep Matthew Kearnon happy. You remember Matthew, right?"

"Oh you mean the client I landed for you? Yeah, I have a vague memory."

Mike may as well not have been in the room at that point as Harvey and Rachel went head to head, neither willing to back down to the other. He simply watched the exchange like a spectator at a tennis match, his eyes moving from Rachel to Harvey and back again as they spoke. He suddenly realized that however this conversation ended would be bad for him – if Rachel backed down, she'd be mad at him and if Harvey didn't get his way, Mike would have to deal with him being grouchy for the rest of the day.

"Rachel, listen," Harvey continued, his tone now calmer as he shifted his strategy from command to appeasement, "this won't take too much of your time. I just need to get the case laws relating to-"

"Why don't you file a cease and desist?" she interrupted impatiently. "It will buy you some time to work out a defeasance on the claim."

Harvey eyed her for a moment without speaking; her knowledge of law still surprised him at times and he was never prepared to come across someone who thought one step ahead of him. The whole idea made her that much more intriguing.

"I think she's on to something, Harvey," Mike's voice came from behind him.

"It won't sell. There's no way I'll be able to get the judge to go along with it so late in the game." His reply was to both Mike and Rachel but his eyes belonged to only her, which she held in either stubbornness or consternation, Harvey couldn't decide. He liked her spirit though; it wasn't often that people dared stand up to him in such a way and even less common for it to come from a woman.

"I thought you're supposed to be the best closer in the city," she said haughtily. "If a deal needs closing, Harvey's your man. Or is that just something you started to distract people from the fact that you use way too much product in your hair?"

This last bit was unexpected and Harvey raised a hand self-consciously to his crowning glory while Mike stifled a snort behind him. Rachel studied him with a bemused look, knowing that she had touched a nerve and reveling in the victory that she could sense looming.

"Mike," Harvey spoke with his usual air of authority and still not taking his eyes from Rachel who was now flashing him a wide, satisfied smile. "File the cease and desist and see where we get."

"I'm on it," Mike said and left in a hurry.

"What?" Rachel asked the staring Harvey when Mike was out of the room; her tone overly innocent.

"You fascinate me," he said eventually.

Rachel was not expecting this response and it showed as she simply frowned and fumbled for a smart reply but didn't find one. Harvey turned to leave and stopped short at the doorway, his expression demure and even a little affronted.

"Pea-size," he said and Rachel's face scrunched into a puzzled frown.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"A pea-size amount," he repeated. "That's what it says on the bottle and that's what I use. Nothing more." Harvey didn't wait for a response and disappeared from her doorway, leaving Rachel to fight back a fit of laughter at his reaction.

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><p>The law offices of Pearson Hardman was oddly quiet as evening started to set in. Usual practice was for people to only start going home well after 7pm but for some reason today was different. Harvey leaned back in his chair behind his desk, staring straight ahead but not looking at anything in particular. Mike was on the sofa poring over the case laws he had eventually found in archives after searching for well over two hours. The cease and desist order, as Harvey had predicted, did not work and they were expected at the hearing the next morning. Rachel's theory on the plaintiff not having a case because of the way his father-in-law had died didn't seem so cut-and-dried when viewed in the light of the claims he was making and Harvey knew that it was going to take some doing to win the judge over to his call to have the case thrown out. This thought somehow brought him back to thinking about Rachel, which he had been doing quite a bit all day. His thoughts found their way to the black pencil skirt she was wearing and how well she filled it… especially when bending over Louis' desk. Her smile swam into his head then too; it always reached her eyes and lit up her whole face as if it were her last smile ever and she wanted to do a good job of it.<p>

"I need to take a break," Mike said as he stood and stretched fully. "You hungry? I'm hungry. I think I'll go get some dinner." He looked at Harvey questioningly who was still inside his head a million miles away.

"Harvey!" Mike's raised voice finally brought Harvey back to reality and he straightened in his chair. "You want me to get you something? I'm doing a food run."

"Have you found anything yet?" he asked, referring to the mess of papers Mike was wading through.

"Nothing substantial but the words are all starting to swim together so I'm taking a break." Harvey didn't seem too impressed by this and he quickly added, "We'll get it, the night is young."

"We better," Harvey said as Mike made to leave.

The quiet of the office became suddenly apparent to Harvey as he was left alone. He rifled through the folders he was supposed to be going through on his desk but couldn't focus his attention on anything significant. The fact that he couldn't get Rachel Zane off his mind bothered him and then as if the devil himself was in on his thoughts, the pretty paralegal appeared.

"Hi," she started tentatively, not sure what the reception would be like after poking fun at Harvey's hair earlier that day.

Rachel knew that she had most probably crossed all sorts of lines in doing it but the urge was too strong to resist. She knew men like Harvey and their weaknesses were almost always vanity and women and his reaction that morning had proven her right on at least one count.

"You're still here." His response mirrored her hesitation which confused her but Rachel was just glad that it didn't hold any of the agitation she had been expecting. She gave a small sigh of relief and walked in, waving a thin folder at him.

"I brought you something, kind of a peace offering," she ended and handed him the file.

"Peace offering?"

"For making fun of your hair," she clarified at his prompting.

"Sticks and stones," Harvey said with a wave of his hand and leafed through the folder. "I know I look good. What are these?"

"I put together some briefs of cases where estate law pertaining specifically to wills were overturned within the last ten years. I thought maybe it could help."

Harvey looked up to find her flashing one of her smiles again and this time he held her gaze and returned the smile. It fell just as suddenly though, he had a reputation to uphold after all and now was not the time to start acting like a shy school boy. Rachel had been under his nose for half a decade but only now did she seem interesting enough to grab his attention. Harvey didn't know what to make of it but he knew that he needed to keep his cool above all else and so that is what he did.

"I thought you said you were too busy to help."

"Then, I was too busy to help then. But I got on it as soon as I got the chance. Thank you would suffice."

"Thank you," Harvey conceded, feeling his defenses falter and hating himself for it.

"You're welcome," Rachel said and turned to leave with a flick of her hair that nearly killed him.

"Can I ask you something," Harvey called after her and she turned on the spot, eyebrows raised in anticipation.

She had noticed the chaos of case files on the table and was afraid that he would ask her to help him sift through it when all she wanted was to get home to her foot soak that had been postponed the night before. Rachel held her smile though, now was not the time to poke the sleeping dragon she thought.

"Why are you not a lawyer?" Harvey asked finally. "You obviously have the head for it, and the passion judging by how good you are at what you do."

Rachel was ready to go on the defensive and that's why Harvey's sincere probing threw her more than it should have. His line of questioning was uncharacteristically personal and she wasn't prepared for it. Harvey Specter requesting information that would need her to open up and actually become a person to him? What did he care? Or more importantly, why did he care? Rachel weighed up her options; how she handled this inquiry would determine the path their platonic relationship would take. He was clearly pushing the boundaries and she wasn't sure if she wanted that.

"I prefer taking orders over giving them," she replied. "The long hours and being under-appreciated… it's strangely satisfying."

"Fine," Harvey nodded, picking up on the gigantic hint she had just thrown at him. "I won't pry."

"Good."

"Rachel," he called after her again when she was just outside his door. "Thanks again for this," he motioned to the file she had brought him.

"You already said that," she said with a smile and disappeared from view.

The mystery with which she clouded herself made Rachel Zane that much more beguiling and Harvey knew that he was headed for trouble. Aware of what pursuing his urges could mean for him in terms of his place at the firm, Harvey hoped that Rachel's aloofness would hold as a way to keep him at bay. If she didn't resist him, he thought, he wouldn't back down. This eased his anxiety about the situation a bit. As long as Rachel didn't play into him he would be fine. For the first time in his life Harvey Specter wanted the line to be drawn to keep him out and that responsibility rested with a lowly paralegal no less.

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><p>Rachel walked into her office and closed the door quickly as if shielding herself from some terrible storm; a perfect metaphor when she thought about it because if her recent exchange with the senior partner was anything to go by, she was in for a hell of a ride. Her head was racing as she tried to make sense of it all. There was no explanation to rationalize it though; his sudden personal interest, and what could easily be mistaken for flirting however subtle – the way he looked at her and how he had brushed the hair from her face in Louis' office. And had she reciprocated? Rachel considered her actions in list form and decided that she didn't do much in the way of staving him off. Did she even want to? Harvey was handsome, smart and successful; who wouldn't want his attention in that way? But he had a reputation as well and not for nothing either. The reason he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the city was because he wanted that title and worked hard to keep it. Harvey Specter was not interested in real relationships; he was in it for the game, the thrill. Rachel knew that. She also knew that it would be in her best interest personally and professionally to keep the boundary lines between them vividly drawn at all times. She knew this was what she had to do. Why then did the thought of Harvey being interested in her give her all sorts of butterflies in her stomach? And why were her feet carrying her back to his office when she was supposed to be on her way home?<p>

Rachel's heart was speeding along at some ungodly pace as she made her way back to Harvey's office. What she would do or say when she got there wasn't clear but she thought she'd let him decide and then go with it. And what would he decide? What if she was wrong about everything? What if she had been reading this whole thing wrong? Who was she, after all, to the brilliant Harvey Specter? He could have any woman he wanted and that choice usually fell in the range of gorgeous, leggy supermodel types or gorgeous, leggy high-powered lawyer types. And here was Rachel Zane, just a paralegal, acting on an impulse that this same Harvey was giving her signs of special interest. Her feet stopped. Sense seemed to find its way back to her as Rachel thought about it. Of course she was wrong, that was it. There were no signs because Harvey had a type and she was by no means it. Whatever she picked up on must have been convoluted by her obvious awe and admiration of his work and success. Yes, that was what this was. Heaving a sigh of relief that helped to slow her heart, Rachel turned on her heel and backtracked to get her stuff from her office as her foot soak became first on her list of priorities once again.

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><p><strong>Mmmm the fun is about to start as things get hot 'n heavy between these two. I must say it's so much fun writing this pairing because it's never been so much as hinted at and I basically get to create my own OTP XD Chapter 3 will be up soon soon because it's already written and pretty much... yeah... I'll let you see for yourself ;p<strong>

**Ps. Reviews appreciated as always and because this is not canon, suggestions and ideas or different points of view are more than welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all, thank you to all who read and reviewed :D Your take on things is always welcome and sometimes even helpful so keep them coming! Sorry for the long wait but I had several things to work out for the next two chapters. I ended up splitting chapter 3 into two parts because it ran a bit long and I had to work out some other things as well. Hope you're still with me though and that you enjoy :)**

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><p>The day of the hearing had arrived and Harvey was feeling his usual confident self as he strode in to work that morning. The spring in his step, however, had little to do with his game face; the office had become less about work and more about Rachel over the past few days. He found himself starting his days earlier than usual, cutting his morning sessions at the gym by more than twenty minutes all so that he could be seated at his desk by six-thirty. Rachel usually arrived between then and seven-thirty and his view from the street gave him the perfect spot to watch as she made her way into the building. It had become somewhat of a ritual for Harvey; he would get his coffee and then simply stand at his window and wait. He had learned to read her so well that even from all that way in the air, he could tell whether she was in a good mood or not.<p>

It was a good day for Rachel if she had a coffee in one hand and the Times in the other, her nose buried deep in what was probably the business section. Those were the days when Harvey was sure to get at least one good laugh out of her or if he were to pass her in the hall, a fleeting yet perfectly timed smile. Short, hurried steps meant that she had a hell of a day ahead and was not likely to be happy about it. He looked forward to these mornings particularly because it meant that her generous mane would by trailing lusciously behind her as she quickly made her way in and the sight was one to behold. It was true that he could name a hundred other things about Rachel Zane that he was infatuated with but her hair… the way it always fell perfectly and effortlessly, framing her neck and face, he often found himself holding his breath as he watched it tumble across her shoulders while she moved. Or when she subconsciously flicked it out of her face with a wave of her hand. Harvey grew attached to those secret moments at the start of each day, allowing it to set the tone for his own day but by no means did it take away from the times when he was actually in her company.

Standing in front of her, engaging with her about some or other thing he could never remember when leaving the conversation – those moments were in a league of their own. If Rachel from afar infatuated Harvey, Rachel up close was indescribable. He would actually make an effort to be funny, rehearsing some witty one-liner before walking casually in to her office all so that he could get her to smile. And if she laughed – god if she laughed – that was even better. The sound reverberated through him and set his skin on fire. It also made her flush a bit and that was when her freckles became most pronounced. He had mentioned something about them being adorable in passing and Rachel had said she'd always hated them because they made her look like a character in a 1950's tv show. Harvey thought they softened her striking features and lent a certain air of innocence which he loved although he obviously never came out and said that much. No, his admiration of Rachel was very much his little secret and even though she seemed to be accepting of his extra attention over the past few days, Harvey was intent on keeping to the promise he had made himself. No boundaries would be crossed. Besides, his recent foray into voyeurism had its payoffs.

Harvey glanced down at his watch for what must have been the tenth time since taking up his post at the office window. It was nearing 8am and there had still been no sign of Rachel. In all the time that she had been with Pearson Hardman, Harvey couldn't remember one day that Rachel had been this late to work. The hearing was at ten and he and Mike needed an hour or so to prep, which didn't leave him with much time to stand around and wait. Seeing the start of Rachel's day had come to affect his own in that if it was a good day for her then it would be the same for him. Hoping that she would throw some luck his way with the hearing, Harvey was anxious to see how that morning's ritual would go. But if the sudden glitch in the pattern was anything to go by, it didn't look like things would be running smoothly for him at all. He must have missed her; that was the only explanation. He had been so caught up in the images in his head that he could have easily missed her as she entered the building.

"Donna," he said as he approached his personal assistant's desk, "can you call Rachel Zane and ask her to come see me?"

"Sure," Donna picked up her phone without delay.

"She's not here," the voice of Louis Litt made Harvey look up. He was making his way toward Jessica's office and had obviously heard Harvey ask for Rachel.

"I wasn't talking to you, Louis."

The junior partner was already well passed them and waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder as he walked. Harvey turned to Donna, who was waiting for her next instruction with the earpiece of the phone hanging from her hand. Harvey simply shook his head and made after Louis at a bit of a run to catch up.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Harvey's brows furrowed in puzzlement and his tone took on a stark tenor that mirrored the sudden formation of a knot in his stomach. Where the hell did that come from? And why?

"I thought you weren't talking to me," Louis responded with a snarky grin.

"Could you stop being incorrigible for once and just answer the question?"

"It's always on your day off that everyone decides they need you."

"Day off?" Harvey repeated in puzzlement; this was clearly news to him.

"Day off," Louis said again as they neared Jessica's office. "There are these days that are legally owed to people who when they take them, do no work at all. I know, it's crazy, an abomination. Off with their heads and all that."

Harvey struggled to appreciate his candor as he tried to conceal his disappointment in finding out that Rachel was not at work. There was that, and then there was also the surprise at realizing how much it affected him in the first place. Harvey was not ready for that and it filled him with a sense of unease. When did she come to have so much power over him? How could it have gotten this far without him realizing it? Harvey had followed Louis into Jessica's office and only realized it once she greeted them both.

"I thought you have a hearing this morning."

"Uh, I do," he followed Jessica's line of questioning.

"So doesn't that mean you should be preparing for it?"

"He's upset because Rachel's not here," Louis jumped in before Harvey could say anything. Jessica's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the statement.

"I'm not upset - he's – I was just – she's been helping with the Tonnesson case and there was something I wanted to ask her," Harvey recovered quickly. "I didn't know it was her day off." He shot Louis a glare that would've killed him if he had been looking at Harvey.

But the junior partner was watching Jessica with a smug smile on his face. He was enjoying the fact that Harvey was stumbling over his words in front of the big boss, making him seem even more guilty. Louis knew that his plan to cause trouble for Harvey where Rachel was concerned would be easy given his reaction.

Jessica seemed to accept Harvey's explanation without fuss as she turned her attention back to Louis and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was just like Litt to stir up trouble where there wasn't any. But Harvey knew he had to watch his back because if anything did happen with Rachel, Louis would be the number one person to look out for. But nothing was happening and nothing was going to, he reminded himself.

"I was told that you could explain the four models seated in our main reception area," Jessica said to Louis as she surveyed him suspiciously. She had passed them on her way in that morning, four blondes who looked like they had walked in to the wrong building because they were clearly more to look at than anything else.

"Oh right, they're interviewing for a position that's becoming available next month."

"Here?"

"Where else," Louis said with a chuckle.

"I'm asking because neither of them look like they can even write their names. What business will they have working at our firm?"

"You can rest assured that they're all more than capable, Jessica, I checked them out myself."

"Yeah I'm sure you did," Harvey chided. It was Louis' turn to be grilled and it ranked high on his list of things he wouldn't miss for the world.

"More than capable of what?" Jessica asked. "What position are they here for?"

"Rachel's, actually. Poor girl, her ears must be on fire." Louis knew he had Harvey's attention now with the way his body visibly stiffened at the mention of Rachel's name. He didn't say anything though.

"How so?"

"Well, Rachel expressed to me her interest in obtaining her law degree and she's decided to start Harvard in the next couple of months." Louis was facing Jessica as he spoke but he was directing his words at Harvey.

"That's wonderful," Jessica said impressed. She knew that Rachel had what it took to become a great lawyer and that it was only a matter of time before she went that way. "Although, she's the best paralegal we have. Isn't there a way that she could study part-time perhaps? It would be a shame to lose her."

"I suggested it to her a few times but she's not willing to go that route. She says she wants the full Harvard experience and who can blame her, right?" This time he turned to Harvey when he said it and he was pleased to find his rival's face stony and expressionless but his jaw tightly clenched in a giveaway sign that he was agitated. "Maybe if you spoke to her… you two have become… close lately."

Harvey looked from Louis to Jessica and knew that he had played right into his hand. He took a second to think about how to respond and smiled.

"If by close you mean that she's been helping us on a lot of our cases then yes, but I don't think my opinion would do much to influence her." Harvey's voice was restrained as he spoke and he looked at Jessica closely to see whether she picked up on anything.

"You work on your cases in the break room now?" Louis pressed on, refusing to give up. "Because I've seen you two in there a few times over the last few days and it didn't look like-"

"What you're spying on me now? Do I intimidate you that much?" He needed to turn the tables and quickly.

"Intimidate me?" Louis let out a caustic laugh.

"Okay, okay, enough," Jessica interrupted, sensing that things were about to get out of hand. "Louis, do me a favor and don't hire anyone just yet; especially not one of the Barbies out there. I'll speak to Rachel." Loius nodded and turned to leave, flashing Harvey a smug smile as he left.

"And Harvey," Jessica called after him as he made to follow Louis. "I know I don't have to remind you about what the policy is regarding relationships at work."

"You mean you believe him? He's talking out of his ass, as usual. There's nothing-"

"I don't believe him," Jessica broke in. "But I'm going to remind you about it anyway." Her words of warning rang clear to Harvey and he nodded.

"You have nothing to worry about," he said simply and walked out.

Harvey was the one who was worried. Suddenly things had started snowballing out of his control and Louis Litt was right behind him like a rabid dog, waiting for him to slip up and fall so that he could tear him apart limb from limb. All of that and nothing had happened, he had not laid a finger on the pretty paralegal, and it made him even more determined to keep it that way. If this was how things were when there was nothing to hide, what still if something did happen?

"Morning," Mike swept in to the office and Harvey looked up, realizing that Donna had disappeared in the time he was imagining new and wonderful ways to rearrange Matthew Kearnon's face. "I'm not late, I've been going through the logistics with Matthew."

"Kearnon's here?" Harvey asked, not able to keep the bitterness from his tone. He remembered Matthew expressing interest in Rachel the night of the dinner and he tasted the bile as it rose to his mouth.

Knowing Matthew, he wouldn't give up on his endeavor with Rachel and how successful he would be was directly proportional to the amount of times his face appeared on New York's most eligible list.

Matthew Kearnon was prime property on the singles circuit and he knew it better than any of the women hoping to get his attention. That made him dangerous. Harvey knew this because he was a version of Matthew himself; he used the same tactics and the same charm to get what he wanted and when he wanted. Just thinking about someone treating Rachel the way he had treated women in the past made him want to punch a hole in the wall behind him.

"Yeah, he came in early so that we could discuss the hearing and how things are going to go. I told you this yesterday."

"Right, of course. Where's he now?"

"He left. He said he had something to do and that he'll meet us at the courthouse at nine-thirty."

"What did he have to do?" Harvey asked suspiciously, thoughts of the hearing now furthest from his mind.

"Uh… he didn't say," Mike said as he eyed his mentor with a strange look. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

Harvey shook his head dismissively and went to sit at his desk. "Let's go through the cause of action one more time and then settle on support for defeasance."

He needed to force himself to focus on the hearing, as much as he wanted to put the matter of Matthew and Rachel to rest. With his confidence waning with each passing minute, he knew that his instincts about the day being a bust would turn out to be right. Harvey Specter didn't go to trial if he could help it and this morning was supposed to be just a formality in keeping with his winning streak, especially since it was his first case representing their biggest client. This hearing needed to be won, only Harvey felt that he was not the one who was going to be winning.

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><p>It was her first day off in almost two years and Rachel made it count. Her body clock infuriated her at four-thirty when she lay in bed wide awake, unable to fall back to sleep. An hour or so of boring infomercials helped cement the fact that it was not a day for work and her brain happily fell in sync as she drifted off to sleep around six and it was all smooth sailing from there.<p>

Cooking breakfast with The Naked Chef at lunch time and Rachel wearing nothing but her "I'm too hot for this kitchen" apron, a private dance party to Gaga blaring through her more than decent sound system and a grossly self-indulgent chick flick marathon with popcorn dripping in butter and endless amounts of red wine put Rachel on the fast track to Chill Mode.

It was now just after 8pm and the pretty paralegal was lying neck deep in the biggest bubble bath she had had in a long time. It was also the first time that day that she was not occupied and Rachel grudgingly realized that the reason she had been keeping her mind busy all day was not only to relax but also to keep from thinking about Harvey. But now, now it was just her, the quiet and the deep glass of merlot by her side and with little effort, the senior partner started his dogged assault on her thoughts.

To a degree, her day away from the office had been just what she needed, but if Rachel was honest with herself, there was a part of her that missed it. If she were even more honest with herself, it was Harvey that she missed most. Life at Pearson Hardman easily melded into a big blur for her with her days basically being filled with being overworked and underappreciated. The last few months had presented a change with the introduction of Mike Ross as Harvey's new associate.

The young genius had made an impression with Rachel that she found hard to ignore and the hours they spent working on cases together had encouraged the feelings that she was quickly developing for him. It was a prospect doomed from the start though, as she soon learned about Jenny and Rachel knew she couldn't compete with the girl-next-door-who-was-also-the-best-friend-and-link-to-the-past. It was hard at first but she nursed her bruised ego and moved on. Besides, focusing on her career is what was important; relationships had the tendency to make things messier than they needed to be and also complicated otherwise straightforward decisions about life and work. Yes, she was better off keeping to herself and working hard. And then Harvey Specter happened…

She had thought nothing of it at first, the fact that Harvey had any interest in her that went beyond the professional duty she had to the firm was preposterous. He was smart and successful and could have any woman he wanted; her whole life Rachel Zane didn't feature very high on that list. Which was perfectly okay, she never had trouble where male attention was concerned but she knew that there was a point where she fell short to the model/actresses pumped up with all sorts of surgical enhancements. This was why Harvey's sudden omni-presence surprised her.

He cornered her more and more often in hallways, her office and even the break room, claiming the partners' lounge was out of full milk or some stupid reason. Rachel knew full well that Harvey Specter rarely made his own coffee and that was the first real sign that led her to believe there was something more going on. The subtle flirting and uncharacteristically random conversations could be explained away but not so much the fact that it seemed like he was actually making an effort to see her every day. And then there was the way he spoke to her when he did; it was as if he became… softer somehow. It was the only word Rachel could think of that best described it. The legal terrier personality that usually filled a room without effort was noticeably tamed and Harvey became… what? Sweeter, endearing almost.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips at this thought; sweet and endearing were not two words she would have usually thought of to describe Harvey. But there was nothing usual about his recent behavior, nothing at all. The thing that terrified her though was that she was starting to look forward to seeing him, waiting for him to appear at her door, looking around for a glimpse of him as she moved around the building. It terrified her because Rachel knew that anything more than a platonic relationship with Harvey would mean trouble. Not only was it against company policy, but she was certain that the senior partner was a sure-fire way to getting her heart broken. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about him and being away from work was great except for the fact that she missed Harvey. Harvey and his stupid jokes. Harvey and his lame attempts to start a random conversation. Harvey being flustered by her sarcasm or calling him on his shit. Harvey's smile. The way his eyes wrinkled at the corners when he did. How he always tried to hide the fact that she wasn't getting to him when she could see it plain as day. Those moments… him…

A slow heat started up between her thighs and spread, making her legs feel weightless and Rachel became acutely aware of her naked body and its heightened sensitivity to sensation. Breathing deeply, slowly, she brushed her hands over her nipples and felt them harden instantly under her touch, sending a white hot surge to her core, aching with arousal. Her hand left her breast in search of the hidden pleasure point, the other one gently massaging and teasing at the taut nipple, further fueling the rising need for release. Rachel's heart was pounding in her ears and her breath hitched as her finger slipped into the slick wetness between her folds, easily finding her clit, swollen and hot. She worked a steady rhythm, gently stroking and kneading as her pleasure mounted. Slipping a finger inside, Rachel used the heel of her hand to continue the stimulation on her clit; rocking her hips in motion to increase the pressure. The movement made water spill rhythmically over the side of the full tub but it went unnoticed by Rachel who was completely focused on her release, her movements growing more urgent and her breath now coming shallow and fast. She moved her finger in and out, faster and faster. A deep moan started low in her throat and everything shifted from her mind as the pleasure welling in her core threatened to flood and take over. She imagined Harvey… his hands… what they would feel like when he brushed against her skin… his mouth… what it would taste like… Her legs began to quiver as the knot of pleasure in her core started to come undone. She felt her muscles contract around the finger still inside her and bit down hard on her bottom lip to stifle the sound that almost broke from her lips when wave after wave of the sweetest climax erupted and coursed through her.

Rachel lay without moving while she waited for her breathing to even out again and the trembling in her legs to stop. This was not good, not good at all. She peered over the side of the tub and saw the floor covered in water and wilting suds. This hasn't even started yet and already it was a mess. And what exactly did she mean by "started _yet_"? Things weren't supposed to start at all, she reprimanded the voice in her head.

"He has me talking to myself," she said to the empty bathroom and fell back into the bubbles, her head reclining on the edge of the tub. "I'm losing it and it's all Harvey's fault," she ended with a groan and then sank down into the water until her head was fully submerged. But not even the solid silence of underwater reclusion could slow down Rachel's racing mind and for a split second she thought how drowning could be a good idea right about now. It was only for a split second though. Her next thought was about how long she would have to wait until she saw Harvey again, and what she would be wearing when she did.


End file.
